By Meena Kar
San Francisco, March 14, (THAINDIAN NEWS) The phrase “One Nation under God,” which was ruled out of the Pledge of Allegiance back in the year 2002 after atheist activist Dr. Michael Nedow complained about it, was on Thursday included again after the San Francisco Court reversed the earlier decision. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals which passed the decision, said that the phrase in no way modifies or threatens the United States of America’s Establishment clause.

The decision comes two years after the case was brought to the court by the Beckett Fund, a non-profit civil rights law firm. Dr. Michael Nedow had in 2002 complained that the mention of God in the pledge is unconstitutional and that those words hinder his religious belief. At that time the court said that the phrase goes against the First Amendment which restricts the government from encouraging or endorsing any particular religion.

However, on Thursday the San Francisco 9th U.S. Court of Appeal gave their decision in favor of the Beckett Fund who have put forward the argument that the phrase “under God” was not used as a religious term in the pledge but was included in the speech to indicate that there are some rights which has been given to man which even the government cannot take away. The Supreme Court Knight Carl A. Anderson said reportedly that the Pledge is a patriotic exercise and not a religious one and also added that the addition of the phrase “under God”, makes the Pledge seem important. Thursday’s decision has been welcomed by American citizens.